Do you like ghosts, demons, witches, and psychics? If so, you should pick up our coverage of the best supernatural manga.
I’ve included a little bit of everything in this list so hopefully, you’ll find something you like.
xxxholic BY CLAMP
CLAMP has created many best superpower manga over the years—some finished, some not—but the stylish xxxHolic remains one of my favorites. I am forever jealous of Yuko’s amazing wardrobe. The manga follows Watanuki, a high school student with the ability to see spirits. When he stumbles across Yuko’s magical shop, he agrees to become her employee in exchange for taking away his supernatural talent.
THE ANCIENT MAGUS’ BRIDE BY KORE YAMAZAKI
Chise Hatori’s entire life has been filled with neglect and abuse. Even her own family has ostracized her. In a desperate attempt to find a new home, she auctions herself off to the highest bidder. The person who buys her? A powerful magus who looks more monster than human. Elias, the magus, intends for Chise to become his apprentice and future bride. It turns out Chise can interact with the supernatural world and has the potential to wield powerful magic.
NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS BY YUKI MIDORIKAWA
Takashi Natsume, in what is absolutely a popular supernatural manga trope, can see spirits. And along those same lines, it brings him nothing but sorrow. His grandmother had the same ability and after her death, he inherits her “Book of Friends,” in which she collected the names of spirits she bullied into submission. Everyone needs a hobby, I guess. Unfortunately, this makes Takashi a huge target in the supernatural world because many spirits are justifiably upset.
KAKURIYO: BED & BREAKFAST FOR SPIRITS BY MIDORI YUMA & WAKO IOKA
Aoi inherited the ability to see spirits from her grandfather. One day, she helps a hungry spirit by giving him food. He repays her kindness by kidnapping her and taking her to the spirit world. There, he tells Aoi that her grandfather owes him a debt and she must marry him to repay it. Refusing to accept that nonsense, she convinces him to let her work at his inn instead.
DEATH NOTE BY TSUGUMI OHBA & TAKESHI OBATA
Although the whitewashed Netflix adaptation lives in infamy forever, the original manga is still worth checking out. It tells the story of a brilliant high school student named Light Yagami who finds a notebook capable of killing anyone provided the owner knows the target’s name and face. While Light’s intentions start out good—he wants to create a world free of crime—things quickly go awry. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and all that.
NORAGAMI BY ADACHITOKA
When it comes to manga with supernatural powers, we can’t miss this title. Hiyori’s life changes after she gets into an accident. Some people have near-death experiments. Hiyori, on the other hand, finds her soul leaving her body on a regular basis. This newfound ability allows her to see the supernatural world in addition to our own. As a result, she crosses paths with Yato, a mysterious nameless god, who agrees to help her fix her little problem.
KAMISAMA KISS BY JULIETTA SUZUKI
Nanami just wants to live a normal life, but not only does her deadbeat father accumulate a ton of gambling debt, he abandons her to deal with the fallout. After she ends up homeless, she helps a mysterious man who rewards her with his home. Nice thought in theory, except this gift doesn’t come without strings. It turns out the mysterious man was a god, his home is a shrine, and Nanami has been tricked into taking his place.
MUSHISHI BY YUKI URUSHIBARA
Mushishi follows a man who travels Japan, researching supernatural creatures known as Mushi and helping people afflicted by their presence. If you want a soothing, mellow read, this is the supernatural manga for you.
BLACK BUTLER BY YANA TOBOSO
Set in Victorian England, young Ciel Phantomhive carries on the family tradition of serving as the Queen’s Watchdog, dealing with cases involving the criminal underworld. But Ciel has a dark secret. He has made a pact with a demon, who masquerades as his dependable butler Sebastian Michaelis, to destroy the people responsible for killing his family.
TOMIE BY JUNJI ITO
What list of supernatural manga would be complete without a Junji Ito title? Tomie is a beautiful woman, recognizable by the mole beneath her left eye. She can also make any man fall in love with her, to the point that they are often driven insane, killing each other and her. Except, you see, Tomie is immortal, able to regenerate her body and spread her curse to everyone around her.
That’s the best supernatural manga to read as of 2020. Do you have your own list, please write it down in the comment section below.
